Alarm clock electric time switch



Oct. 27, 1936. A. H. WARTON 2,058,646

ALARM CLOCK ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Filed Dec. 51, 1935 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 ALARM CLOCK ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH Adonis Henry Warton, Hanwell, London, England Application December 31, 1935, Serial No. 57,021 In Great Britain December 10, 1934 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic time switch or device associated with an alarm clock or timepiece for switching on or off electric current for any suitable purpose, such as lighting,

heating, wireless sets and the like, at any predeterminedset time, the device being synchronized with the working of the alarm mechanism of the clock or timepiece.

The invention provides an alarm clock electric time switch wherein a switch arm is constituted by an insulated pivotally mounted two-arm lever, one arm of which is adapted to be actuated directly by the alarm hammer or tail end thereof, whilst the other arm is adapted, when said lever is actuated by the hammer or tail end thereof, to engage an insulated contact, and provision is made to effect reverse movement of the lever with consequent breaking of the circuit.

The two-arm lever is preferably constituted by a wire which lends itself to easy adjustment by the bending of the said wire, and the said lever, contact and terminals may be mounted on an insulating base aflixed to the clock. By reason of the switch arm having its pivot situated intermediate its ends so as to be in the form of a twoarmed lever, it is possible to arrange for the hammer-actuated and contact-making parts of switch arm to be situated remote from one another and yet have any predetermined proportionate movement by suitably positioning the pivot.

For a ready understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying sheet of drawings illustrative of an embodiment of the invention as associated with the alarm mechanism of a drum-type clock,

and wherein:-

Figure l is a rear elevational view, showing the switch in its off position and alarm wound, the back of the clock and its motor being omitted.

Figure 2 is a side View, casing of clock being partly broken away.

In carrying out the invention and referring to the drawing, there is provided a base I of any suitable insulating material, secured by means of a screw and nut 2 to the front frame of the clock. A terminal post 3 is fixedly mounted at the upper end of the base I, whilst a contact strip 4 is secured by a screw 5 to the other end of the said base I and constitutes another terminal.

To the terminal 3 is secured a wire 6, whilst to the contact strip 4 is secured a wire I, and said wires 6 and I are housed in a recess 8 in the underside of the base I and are carried through a hole 9 which communicates with said recess 8 and are led to and wired to a plug socket I0 aifixed (Cl. ZOO-35) to the rear face of the back plate II of the clock casing.

On the terminal post 3 aforesaid there is rockably mounted the switch arm of the device, said switch arm consisting of a length of wire which, 5 in its length, is bent to form a loop or other suitable formation by means of which it is mounted on and contacts with the terminal post 3, and is retained thereon by means of a washer and a screw or in any other suitable manner. A small 10 coil spring may be provided on the terminal post 3, adapted to exert pressure on the switch arm and prevent same turning of its own accord.

The upper part i2 of the switch arm is upwardly arched and terminates in a downturned 15 hook I3 adapted to rest on a pillar I4 which connects together the front and rear frame plates I5 of the clock mechanism, whilst the lower part I6 of the said switch arm extends inwardly and is cranked in its length, and by its lower end is 20 adapted to make contact with the contact strip 4 on the base i of the device, said hook end I3 preventing the upper part of the switch arm from getting into too close contact with the tail end ll of the hammer I8 of the alarm. 2

Further, the tail end I! aforesaid is provided with an extension I9 disposed at right angles thereto and adapted to contact with the upper part i2 of the switch arm when the alarm functions, and a hand-operated stop 20 is provided 30 for engagement with the pallet 2I of the hammer to prevent the same from functioning when required.

The lower part I6 of the switch arm is provided with an extension 22 disposed at right angles 5 thereto and projecting through an aperture in the back plate II of the casing of the clock and terminating in an insulated operating knob 23.

The alarm mechanism includes the usual alarm wind arbor 24 and its spring 25, and train of gear 40 wheels for actuating the pallets of the hammer I8, the alarm set arbor 26, and the hammer-retaining spring catch (not shown) which is operated from the motor of the clock.

Assuming that the alarm is set and its spring 45 25 is fully wound up, and that the tail end I I of the hammer is held by the time-controlled spring catch in the usual way, and that the switch arm is in its off position with its hook end I3 resting on the pillar I 4, and that the 50 clock is in operation, it is obvious that the timecontrolled spring catch is, at the predetermined set time, moved from engagement with the tail end I! of the hammer I8 with the result that, as the alarm functions, the extension I9 of the said 55 tail end I! strikes against the upper part l2 of the switch arm and causes the same to turn on the terminal post 3 so that the lower end of the lower part l6 of said switch arm contacts with the contact strip 4 on the base I of the device and closes the circuit to the lamp, with consequent lighting thereof.

The light remains on during the time occupied in the unwinding of the spring 25 until the outermost coil of the expanding spring contacts with the bent portion of the lower part l6 of the switch arm and causes the same to move in reverse direction so that said part l6 breaks contact with the contact strip 4, thereby eiTecting the automatic switching oil? of the device, the hooked end l3 coming to rest on the pillar 14.

The switch may be maintained closed indefinitely by moving the alarm stop 20 so that it engages the pallet 21 of the hammer l8 and stops the movement thereof and the unwinding of the spring 25 before said spring 25 contacts with the upper part I6 of the switch arm, said switch being cut out, when required, by moving said switch arm by means of its hand-operated knob 23.

The device is readily adaptable to existing alarm clocks as well as to newly constructed alarm clocks and the like.

I claim:

1. In combination with an alarm clock including an alarm spring and an alarm hammer arm, a contact element mounted on the clock, and a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the clock and having one end portion thereof normally spaced from said contact element and its other end portion normally disposed to be engaged and swung by a part of said hammer arm when the latter is actuated thereby to swing the first mentioned end portion into engagement with said contact element, the said first mentioned end portion of said lever being disposed relative to the alarm spring to be unaffected thereby when said spring is wound and to be engaged by said spring and swung away from said contact element when said spring expands in unwinding.

2. In combination with an alarm clock including an alarm spring and an alarm hammer arm, a contact element mounted on the clock, and a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the clock and having one end portion thereof disposed to be engaged and swung by a part of said hammer arm and its other end portion disposed for cooperation with said contact element and also with said spring, the disposition of said lever arm relative to said hammer arm and spring being such that the hammer arm cooperates with its related end portion of said lever arm to swing the other end portion thereof toward the alarm spring, and said alarm spring in unwinding and expanding cooperates with its related end portion of said lever arm to swing the lever arm in the opposite direction.

3. In combination with an alarm clock including an alarm spring and an alarm hammer arm, a block of insulating material mounted onthe clock, a contact element mounted on said block, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said block and having one end portion thereof normally disposed to be engaged and swung by said hammer arm when the latter is operated and its other end portion disposed for cooperation with said contact element, the last mentioned end portion of said lever arm also being disposed relative to said alarm spring to be swung toward the latter when the first mentioned end portion of said lever arm is swung by said hammer arm and to be engaged and swung in the opposite direction by said spring when the latter expands in unwinding. 

